TankBud

Ludwigia repens

Also known as Creeping Primrose-willow, Red Ludwigia, Ludwigia natans

FreshwaterStemCuttingsSide shoots

Ludwigia repens (Ludwigia repens)
Aquarium Plants Factory · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Light
Medium light
CO2
CO₂ beneficial
Temperature
72–82°F
22–28°C
Max height
19.7 in
50 cm
Growth rate
Medium
Placement
Background
Type
Stem
pH
6.0–7.5
Hardness
3–12 dGH
Spread
2.8 in (7 cm)
Nutrient uptake
Root + water column
Growth region
Submersed or emersed
Difficulty
Easy
Family
Onagraceae
Origin
Southern United States and Central America

Overview

A beginner friendly red-tinged stem plant for the mid-ground and background, planted stem by stem into the substrate. It will grow green under modest light without CO2, but to pull out the orange and red tones you want medium to high light, CO2 helps, and a good iron and micronutrient dosing. Topping and replanting the cut tops thickens the stand; lower leaves can drop if the upper growth shades them, so trim before it gets too tall.

In the wild

Native to the southern United States and into Central America, where it grows in slow streams, ponds, ditches and swampy margins. It is a marginal plant that creeps and roots along wet ground when emersed and grows upright when submersed. Emersed leaves tend to sit green, while the submersed form develops the olive-to-red coloring it is grown for.

Good to know

Belongs to the evening primrose family, Onagraceae. Like other Ludwigia it has opposite leaves on the stem and roots readily from leaf nodes, which is why broken pieces establish so easily. The underside of the leaf often flushes red while the top stays greener, a hallmark of the species. Sold under many trade names and easily mixed up with Ludwigia palustris and the various red Ludwigia cultivars.

Did you know

The redder it gets, the more it is signaling stress in a useful way. Under strong light Ludwigia repens builds red anthocyanin pigments as a kind of sunscreen, so the intense color hobbyists prize is the plant protecting itself from high light.

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